Simplified space heating radiator mounted on pipe



May 26, 1953 H. G. scHAEl-ER SIMPLIIED SPACE HEATING RADIATOR MOUNTED ON PIPE i Filed Deo. 11, 194e Patented May 26, 1953 SIMPLIFIED SPACE HEATING RADIATOR MOUNTED N PIPE Henry G. Schaefer, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application December 11, 1948, Serial No. 64,726

4 Claims.

This invention relates to convector heaters for steam heating systems.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple and inexpensive convector heater that can be connected directly with the risers of a heating system and which can be supported directly from the riser or a branch pipe leading from the riser. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved heater carried directly on the riser and with no valve or other shut off, but with means outside the circuit of the heating medium for controlling the amount of steam that enters a branch pipe enclosed within a casing that is used for the heater. This latter 0bject is attained by means of a damper that controls the flow of air across the branch pipe and the resulting condensation of steam. The branch pipe has provisions for draining condensate so as to permit the entrance of new steam.

Some features of the invention relate to the circulation of heating medium into a dead end bran-ch leading from a riser, and preferably a downfeed riser. Other features of the invention relate to the supporting of the heater casing from the riser, and supporting means that are not affected by thermal expansion of the parts.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the de scription proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a top plan View, partly broken away and in section, of a heating system embodying this invention,

Figure 2 is a front view, partly broken away and in section, of the construction shown in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

The drawing shows a vertical downfeed riser I0 extending through a floor I I. There is a trim ring I2 surrounding the riser where it extends into the opening through the floor.

The riser I0 has a T fitting I4 some distance above the iioor II, and there is a branch pipe I screwed into the T fitting I4. This branch pipe has one end closed by a plug IG which screws into the end of the pipe, but which can be welded, or otherwise rigidly secured in the branch pipe I5. In the preferred construction of the invention the side opening through the fitting I4 is at an acute angle to the axis of the riser so that the branch pipe I5 has a slight downward slope toward the riser for facilitating the draining of 2 condensate. A cross instead of the T tting I4 is used in the riser when it is desired to locate convector heaters on both sides of the riser to double the heating capacity.

In order to promote the circulation of steam into the branch pipe I5, an internal vent tube I1, of substantially smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the pipe I 5, is placed in the pipe I5 with one end of the drain tube near the closed end of the pipe. This end of the tube II nearest to the plug I6 has an oblique end face I8 so that the passage of condensate and/or uncondensable gas into the tube cannot be blocked by the plug I6 when the tube I'I is up against the inside face of the plug.

The other end of the internal vent tube II extends into the T fitting I4 and turns downward into the portion of the riser below the T fitting. In the preferred, but not essential, construction, this downwardly turned end terminates close to the inside wall of the riser that is opposite to u the side of the riser with which the bran-ch pipe I5 connects. This construction makes it practical to place the internal vent tube I'I loosely in the branch pipe I5 before screwing the branch pipe into the T I4. The internal vent tube I'I will always lie along the bottom of the branch pipe I5, and the end play of the internal vent tube is limited to a small range by the plug IB and the inside face of the riser I4 close to the downturned end of the tube.

It is a feature of the construction that the downturned end of the internal vent tube I1 extends into a portion of the riser I4 where the cross section of the riser is no greater than it is at the region where the branch pipe I5 connects with the riser. As a result of this relation, the downturned end of the internal vent tube I 'I provides some restriction to the down iiow of steam just below the branch pipe I5, and thereby sets up some pressure for causing steam to flow into the branch pipe I5.

Since the discharge end of the internal Vent tube Il is turned downward in the general direction of flow of the steam through the riser I0, the steam current through the riser produces an aspirating effect for drawing liquid, air, or steam from the closed end of the branch pipe I5. If there is condensate in the branch pipe I5, this liquid accumulates on the bottom of the pipe and fiows into the riser, either directly or through the internal vent tube I'I. Since the density of air is greater than that of steam, any air in the branch pipe I5 sinks to the bottom oi the pipe and is drawn out of the pipe by the aspirat ing action of the steam flow on the internal vent drain tube I'I. After a short initial operation, therefore, the branch pipe I5 is lled with steam and new steam continues to enter the branch pipe as fast as the steam already in the pipe condenses.

The dissipation of heat from the branch pipe I5 is increased by providing ns 2i] on the outside of the pipe. These ns 20 are parallel in the construction illustrated, but a continuous helical rin can be used if desired. The fins are connected with the outside of the branch pipe by metal bonding, such as soldering or welding, or by pressing the fins into place, or even by eX- panding the branch pipe into contact with the ns.

The heater includes a casing 23, preferably made of sheet metal, with front and back walls 25 and 26 respectively, and end walls 27 and 28. The space between the front wall 25 and the back wall 26 is equal to the width of the iins 23. The bottom of the casing 23 is open for the entrance o air which passes upward across the surfaces of the tins 26. The casing has a top 3!) with grilie worlr openings 32 for the passage o heated air out through the top of the casing.

The heat output of the apparatus is regulated by a damper 35 secured to a shaft One end oi the shaft 3S turns in a bearing near the bottom oi a partition 38 attached to top wall 3G and which extends from the front wall 25 to the back wall 2G. This partition has angular ends attached to the front and back walls by spot welding. The partition 38 is located near the riser I0, and there are preferably no openings, other than the one through which the riser II) extends, in the top of the casing to the right of the partition 3S. The other end of the sha-it r 3B extends through the end wall 2l of the casing and turns in a bearing in the end wall. There is a knob or hand wheel 4U on an end of the shaft 36 that extends outside of the casing 23.

The damper 35 extends for substantially the full distance between the end wall 2'I and the partition 38, and this damper is large enough to span substantially the full inside width of the casing between the front wall 25 and the back wall 26 when the damper is in the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. When in this dotted line position, the damper blocks substantially all flow of heated air upward through the casing 23, but when the damper is turned through an angle of 90, it oiers very little obstruction to the upward flow of air to the grille work openings 32 in the cover of the casing. By controlling the now of air upward past the branch pipe I5, the damper controls the condensation of steam in the branch pipe I 5, and thus controls the now of new steam from the riser into the branch pipe.

The heating eiTect of the apparatus is produced partly by radiation of heat from the walls of the casing 23, these walls being in turn heated by radiation from the surface of the enclosed portion of the riser I and by radiation from the branch pipe i5 and its connected hns 2B. Most of the heating effect, however, is produced by convection currents of air entering the enclosure 23 below the branch pipe I5 and flowing upward across the fins 28 and around the pipe I5, and then out or" the enclosure through the grille work cover of the enclosure, A substantial amount of heat is supplied to the air in the enclosure 23 by contact with the part of the vertical riser I0 that is enclosed within the casing 23.

When the damper 35 is closed, and the circulation of convection currents is largely, if not totally, shut off, the heating is reduced to that obtained by radiation; but the convection heating can be quickly restored by merely turning the damper into its vertical position. When the air circulation around the pipe I5 and fins 20 is reduced, or shut oi, by means of the damper 35, the condensation of steam in the branch pipe I5 is greatly reduced and the circulation of new steam into the branch pipe is at a minimum.

It is another feature of the invention that the enclosure or casing 23 is supported directly by the riser I0. The T I4 of the riser provides a shoulder 42 at a iixed position along the length of the riser. A support 44 is connected at its opposite ends with the front wall 25 and the back wall 26. This support is provided with angular ends which are welded to the front and back walls of the casing, and the mid portion of the support 44 rests upon the shoulder 42 and supports the casing 23 and its connected parts.

Means are provided for preventing the support 44 from moving away from the riser I0 and coming oi the end face 42 of the fitting I4. These means include two clips 46 and 41 spot welded to the end wall 28, and bracket or gusset pieces 48 loosely held in the clips 46 and 41. Each of these gusset plates 48 extends toward the riser It, and either contacts with the riser or comes close enough to it to prevent transverse movement of the casing 23 which would be sufiicient to move the support 44 from the shoulder 42. The gusset pieces 48 are preferably shaped to nt around the outside surface of the riser I0.

Swinging movement of the casing 23 about the axis of the riser I0 is prevented by the iins 20 which contact with the inside surfaces of the front and back walls of the casing. The construction described supports the casing 23 from the riser IU and with the casing spaced from the wall 50 of the room.

The preferred construction of this invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modications can be made and some features of the invention can be used alone or in different combinations without departing from the invention as dened in the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heating system, the combination comprising a vertical downfeed riser having a T fitting therein, a branch pipe connected with the T fitting and extending substantially horizontally from the riser, a plug closing the end of the branch pipe remote from the T iitting, ns on the outside of the branch pipe for dissipating heat from the pipe, an internal vent tube within the branch pipe and of substantially smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the branch pipe, said internal vent tube having an oblique end face near the plug end of the pipe and said conduit having its other end extending into the T fitting and then downward into the riser below the T fitting and to a location near the side of the riser opposite to the branch pipe, a casing enclosing a portion of the length of the riser, brackets secured to the casing including a bracket that extends across the casing into position to rest on the top face of the T fitting to support the casing, said casing having front and back walls spaced from one another by a distance substantially equal to the width of the ns on the branch pipe.

2. A heating system casing for use on a continuous Vertical riser that has a shoulder at a xed position along the length of the riser, said casing having a portion that encloses a predetermined length of the riser, a support attached to opposite sides of the casing at a distance above the lower end of the casing and extending across the casing in position to rest on the top face of the shoulder on one side of the riser to support the casing from said shoulder, and bracket means extending inwardly from a side of the casing in position to contact with the riser on the side opposite from the support to prevent transverse movement of the casing and support on the shoulder away from the riser.

3. The construction described in claim 2 and in which the bracket means comprise a, holder rigidly connected With an end wall of the casing on the side of the riser opposite the support, and a spacer loosely held at one end in said holder and having its other end adjacent to the side of the riser opposite said support.

4. In a heating system, the combination cornprising a, vertical riser having a pipe fitting therein, a branch pipe connected with the tting and extending substantially horizontally from the riser, a. plug closing the end of the branch pipe remote from the fitting, an internal vent tube within the branch pipe and of substantially smaller diameter than the inside diameter of the branch pipe the vent tube lying along the bottom of the branch pipe, said internal vent tube having an end face near the plug end of the pipe and with some clearance from the plug for the entrance of water and air into the tube and said vent tube having its other end extending into the pipe tting and then in the direction of heating medium flow and into the riser below the pipe tting and to a location near the side of the riser opposite to the branch pipe, a, casing enclosing a portion of the length of the riser, brackets secured to the casing including a bracket that extends across the casing into position to rest on the top face of the ifitting to support the casing.

HENRY G. SCI-IAEFER.

References Cited `in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 6,591 Mills Aug. 10, 1875 185,582 Shackleton Dec. 19, 1876 326,473 Ashcroft Sept. 15, 1885 1,897,759 Kimball et a1 Feb. 14, 1933 1,899,977 Murray, Jr. et al. Mar. 7, 1933 2,241,864 Maier May 13, 1941 2,289,735 Smith ....1 July 14, 1942 

